[Note: Intestinal permeability – “leaky gut” – is when irritation or damage of the intestinal lining, as from bacterial overgrowth, causes loosening of junctions between the cells, allowing the escape of molecules that would not normally be allowed to pass through to the bloodstream (pathogens, undigested food, toxins) and triggering an immune system response that can cause inflammation in the body. Dr. Kenny De Meirleir's recent reports, for example, point to problems with the intestinal lining in the majority of ME/CFS patients he sees.]

Objectives: The pain intensity of patients with FM has recently been reported to be correlated with the degree of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). SIBO is often associated with an increased intestinal permeability (IP). Increased IP, if shown in FM, may have pathogenetic relevance because it leads to the exposure of immune cells to luminal antigens and consequent immune modulation.

It is currently unknown whether IP is altered in FM. We therefore examined the IP in a group of patients with primary FM and in two control groups - healthy volunteers and patients with an unrelated chronic pain syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

We hypothesized that patients with FM, but not volunteers or those patients with CRPS, would have altered IP.

Methods: Both gastroduodenal and small IP were assessed using an established three-sugar test, where urinary disaccharide excretion reflecting intestinal uptake was measured using HPLC.

Results: Forty patients with primary FM, 57 age- and sex-matched volunteers and 17 patients with CRPS were enrolled in this study.

In the FM group, 13 patients had raised gastroduodenal permeability and 15 patients had raised small intestinal permeability,

But only 1 volunteer had increased gastroduodenal permeability (P < 0.0001, chi-square test for the three groups).

The IP values were significantly increased in the patient groups (P < 0.0003 for all comparisons, one-way analysis of variance).

I HAVE FIBROMYALGIA AND SUFFERED TERRIBLY FROM WHAT I THOUGHT WERE STRESS STOUMACH ACHES WHEN I WAS YOUNG. I HAVE HAD SURGERY ON MY CERVICAL DISC AND ALSO THE REST OF MY SPINE. I AM ALSO DIABETIC. I WONDER HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH FIBROMYALGIA HAVE THESE THINGS GOING ON ALSO.
I WAS UNDER TREMENDOUS STRESS WHEN I GOT THE DIAGNOSIS OF FIBROMYALGIA AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER HAD DIABETES AND STARTED HAVING DISC PROBLEMS WITH DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE.
I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THESE WERE ALL RELATED. MY STRESS LEVELS WERE HIGH WHEN I GOT OLDER WITH THE FIBRO, DISC DISEASE, DIABETES AND "NERVOUS STOUMACH" WHEN ATTEMPTING WHAT I PERCEIVED AS A STRESSFUL SITUATION FOR ME. ANYBODY ELSE OUT THERE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS OR SOME COMBINATION OF THESE PROBLEMS?
IT DOESNT SURPRISE ME THAT THEY MIGHT BE RELATED TO STOUMACH PROBLEMS.

I have FM and degenterative disk disease and problems with acid reflux and IBS. I don't need to have any stress to bother mine illnesses they flare up all the time. I do not have diabetes but I am hypoglycemic. Everyone is different.